1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for lubricating rails and wheel flanges on a railroad and to apparatus for rigidly securing such lubricators and portions of them to railroad rails.
2. Description of the Invention Background
In the operation of railroads, it has long been the practice to apply grease or similar gel-like lubricants to the sides of the rail at curves, turn-outs, switches and, in some cases, to the sections of track immediately before a switch. Such lubricants have been and still are applied to the inside sides of the rail head at these locations to reduce the friction which naturally occurs as a train's wheels, particularly the wheel flanges, contact the sides of the rail. The resulting reduction in friction reduces wear on both the rail itself and the wheel flanges and contributes to reduced fuel consumption in the locomotion of the train. When such lubricant is dispensed on the rail immediately preceding a switch, the movement of the train tends to move the lubricant into the area of the switch so as to reduce the friction on the rail sections and wheel flanges as the train passes over the switch.
In furtherance of this practice, there have been many designs of lubricators and apparatus for securing them so as to permit the automatic application of a lubricant to the rail by reason of the train's passing. In some of these devices, it is the depression of the roadbed that triggers the dispensation of lubricant; in others, it is the tripping of a mechanical device, such as a lever or a plunger, by the train's wheels which activates a lubricant dispensing mechanism. Examples of such prior art devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,884,093; 2,518,786; 2,231,394 and 2,223,714.
Common to these devices is the need for means to rigidly secure the device either to the rails or to the track roadbed so that lubricant can be dispensed repeatedly at the desired rate and at the needed location. In most cases, such means involve a mechanical connection to the rail itself, such as by bolting or clamping in various ways. Examples of such connection means are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,147,822 and 2,168,554.
The problems associated with these prior art devices are many. Among other things, these prior art devices are often mechanically complex and difficult to install in the field. As a result, they are also often difficult to maintain and, due to the complexity of their design features, they tend to loosen and then become less effective as they are subjected to vibrations and rail roadbed flexion from traffic and contraction/expansion of the rail from thermal stress. Further, none of the prior art devices can easily accommodate different rail sizes. In effect, these devices either need to be manufactured in different sizes accommodate each rail size or they need to be adapted to different rail sizes through various shim arrangements or adjustment bolts. These features only add to the tendency of the prior art devices to loosen and become less effective as they are used. Finally, these devices are difficult or impossible to adjust for the effects of wear on the head and face (or side) of the rail.